Brush strokes
by Brightness Davar
Summary: Hyperactivity and a lack of motion are not good combinations. What goes on behind the scenes when the royal family needs to be painted? Three phases, three-shots.
1. Past

**I do not own Frozen.**

 **This was so fun :D**

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"Come along children, we're going to be late."

"Coming Mama! Hurry up Anna, you heard what Mama said."

"Can't! Legs short. Carry?"

"Uhm…"

"Awh Esie, _ca-rry_!"

"Come along Anna, you can ask your father to carry you. He better not be working in his study, he knows what today is."

The Queen of Arendelle marched towards her husband's study, her children jogging behind her in order to keep up.

"Papa's'in tru-ble…" Anna whispered to her older sister next to her.

Elsa nodded with a grin. It was as if their father was connected to his desk by an invisible cord. A cord only their mother's stern expression or ceaseless begging from the girls could break effectively.

They reached the door and found the King of Arendelle hunched over his desk scribbling like a maniac on some or other parchment. The Queen stood by the threshold and placed her hands on her hips in frustration.

"Agdar." She said simply, warning evident in her voice.

The King looked up from his work and winced; he glanced at the clock and grinned at his wife sheepishly. Standing from his desk, his eyes flitted across the parchments strewn on his desk in organised chaos.

"Kai will be able to handle things for the day, dear." Idun informed, softening her expression, "We need to hurry or we _will_ be late."

"So, we're not late yet?" Agdar asked gazing at his papers with concern, "I could still –?"

"No. We're late." She sighed in exasperation, "Come along."

"But Mama said…" Confusion rang in the youngest Princess's voice as she watched her father struggle to extract himself from his desk.

"It's the only way Papa will come with us." Elsa told her sagely.

"My puppy-eye make Papa come." The sisters nodded and giggled knowingly.

Adgar had finally been able to detach himself from his duties as King and strode towards his family. He grinned at his wife in a way he knew would weaken her ire and picked his youngest up. Another sigh escaped the Queen, but this time is was noticeably less irritated as she took her eldest daughters hand in hers.

"Alright, are we ready?" Idun asked looking at her girls in turn.

"Yes!" the answered in unison.

"Esie tie hair!" Anna exclaimed in her father's arms, shaking her head to draw attention to her short red nubs at the base of her head.

"Easy there Button," her father chuckled, stilling the tiny redhead, "You're going to fall out of my arms if you keep fidgeting so."

"Papa catch me." She proclaimed boldly, fidgeting with one of his medals pinned on his chest.

"Always."

"Do you remember what I said to do when we get there?" Idun asked her children.

"Not to touch anything." Elsa answered with Anna mumbling every other word noncommittally.

"Good." She looked at her husband, "Will you be able to keep her still enough for Lars to paint her?" Idun eyed the hyperactive three year old dubiously.

"Of course, we have an understanding of sorts, don't we Anna?"

The redhead looked up from her study of the royal medal of Valour with a blank expression on her face. "Huh?"

"Nod your head." he whispered in her ear, "And smile at Mama."

She did as she was told with much more enthusiasm as was necessary, not fooling the Queen even one bit.

"I'm sure you do." She smirked playfully, "Will _you_ be able to stand still long enough, Adgar?"

The King looked at her with mock affront, "I am a grown man Idun, and therefore I do possess self-control."

Elsa giggled at her parents bantering exchange as they exited the castle. She always enjoyed visiting town with her family. When Anna was born the visits had stopped until the baby reached a certain age, where she could obey simple commands and not run off by herself. Not that Elsa would ever let her baby sister out of her sight. But it helped that she would listen when someone told her what to do.

The sisters' heads swivelled as they took in every sight and sound their tiny minds could comprehend, while the King and Queen wore pleasant smiles and greeted their people benevolently. The walk to Lars' studio was over much too quickly for the youngest of the group who let out a petulant whine as they entered the shop. It was quickly replaced by exclamations of awe when she took her surroundings in.

Paintings of various sizes and colours hung on display on the walls of the room they were standing in, depicting various landscape scenes or people inside each decorative frame. The store was divided by a crimson curtain and glass counter, separating the studio in the back room from the gallery in front. Emerging from behind the curtain, a young man greeted his monarchs with a polite bow. His newsboy cap held two brushes in them, and the apron he wore over his baggy clothes was stained in various colours of paint.

"Good morning, Majesties." His smile was slightly nervous while his tone of voice conveyed confidence. "My father has entrusted me to paint your portrait today. I hope this is not an inconvenience, if need be I will fetch him for you."

"Nonsense." The King said, smiling warmly, "If Lars deems you ready to start commissioning artworks, there will be no need to question his judgement."

"Thank you my King." He bowed again.

"There will be no need for such formalities, young man." Idun informed warmly, "If we are to be here for the majority of the day…things will most definitely change in your view of your monarchs."

She looked directly at her husband as she said this, causing him to raise his eyebrow in challenge. The painted relaxed entirely, seeing his rulers act human and not as some demi-gods sent to reign over the pitiful mortals.

"My name is Knud," the painter introduced, stooping to bow again. Luckily he caught himself and grinned awkwardly. Even though he now saw them as mere humans, old habits die hard and whatnot. "If you'd please follow me to the studio then we can begin.

Anna pouted as they moved away from the beautiful paintings and entered a more spacious area behind the curtain. Sunlight streamed in from the high windows lighting the entire room in its golden glow. A large dark tarp hung from a wooden frame down to the floor that would act as the background with a chair arranged in the middle of the tarp. An easel with an empty canvas stood just off centre, primed and ready for it to be painted. A small table next to it held all the paint and jars of water that would be used. A few finished paintings, that were still wet, leaned back against the chamber's wall in order for the oil paint to dry completely.

Adgar set his youngest down while he spoke with the painter; Anna, now free to explore, immediately started waddling to the nearest painting. Elsa saw her sister approach a painting and with her mother's warning not to touch anything while they we're there, she gasped in anticipation perceiving fingers full of paint in a very short time frame.

" _Anna_." Idun called sternly, having heard her eldest gasp.

She didn't turn to see why Elsa reacted as she did; instead she kept her focus on the men in the room as they discussed various painting compositions. She had only to hear Elsa's intake of breath and see Knud's wide frightened eyes to know that her youngest daughter was doing something she mustn't. Adgar had moved away from the painter to study the various compositional options leaning against the wall, oblivious as to the happenings in the room behind him.

The young redhead paused, her itchy fingers inches away from a depiction of the north mountain in all its glory. Anna looked over her shoulder at her mother, who still hadn't turned to look at her, then down at her sister who stared at her with her hands covering her mouth.

A silent conversation played out between the sisters in that moment.

Elsa shook her head without taking her eyes off her sister, lest she touch the wet layers of paint at any sign of weakness.

Anna set her mouth into a line of determination and glanced up at her mother before settling on her sister yet again. She leaned closer.

Tiny shoulders stiffened in trepidation as the blonde shook her head more vigorously, her magic stirred inside of her in response to her anxiety.

Chubby digits stopped again, much closer this time. Her lips thinned more, still determined, she tried to persuade her big sister that she really, _really_ wanted to touch this thing.

Lowering her hands, Elsa mouthed the word 'No' and shook her head again. More sternly this time.

With a scrunched face showing her vexation at being denied, Anna let her hand drop to her side and skulked back towards her sister forlornly.

When the youngest reached the eldest, she was wrapped into a tight tiny hug and praised for not touching it like she wanted to. Earlier annoyance forgotten she returned her sister's hug and giggled happily. Knud relaxed immensely, blowing out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding before returning his attention to the King.

Glancing down at her daughters, Idun's smile was proud as she joined her husband to help him decide on a proper painting arrangement. That being done the family settled in the middle of the room, standing on the tarp was the King who held Anna in his arms while the Queen sat in the provided chair with Elsa on her lap. The sisters had been told what to expect and what to do while they had to wait. The blonde had no trouble keeping herself busy, observing the every inch of the room as a pencil glided over the canvas lightly, positioning the composition on the canvas where it should be.

Anna on the other hand grew bored in record breaking time.

The littlest Princess fidgeted with her father's medals before she settled on touching his face instead. As long as she didn't run her fingers through his hair, Adgar was happy to allow his daughter's facial exploration. When she reached his mouth he was afraid she'd pull his moustache, so he opened his mouth and made as if he'd eat her fingers. A giggle resounded in the studio as Anna pulled her fingers out of the danger zone. The giggles grew in intensity as the little game played out.

"Please don't move so much, your Majesty." Knud asked from behind the canvas, placing the pencil down and picking a brush up in its place. "I'm about to start painting."

"Knud," the Queen called, making the painter pause in what he was doing to regard her with curiosity. "I'm sorry, but could we perhaps change the composition a little bit?"

The painter's shoulders sagged slightly, but he agreed nonetheless. After all there was still enough time for changes; he just hoped they wouldn't change too drastically. Idun raised her eyebrow at her husband who returned the gesture questioningly. A sigh of understanding and then he handed Anna out towards her mother.

"Elsa, dear." She whispered to her daughter, "Would you please be a good girl and stand next to Mama? I need to hold your sister."

"Okay Mama." Elsa answered, hopping down from her lap.

She stood comfortably and returned to her observations. From this angle she could see other things hidden closer to the ground, a forgotten paintbrush and splotches of paint on the floor around the easel. Being kept too busy to notice her pouting sister and father behind and next to her.

Knud suppressed a laugh, "Are we ready?"

"Yes." Idun answered, leaving no room for argument.

What followed for the rest of the day was a fidgeting from both the youngest Princess and the King. Anna would try and get her sisters attention with her foot, but her mother placed her hand over it in order to hinder her shenanigans. Resolved to boredom, Anna lapsed into a restrained fidgeting stupor looking at her surroundings with unseeing eyes. The King had to suppress groaning numerous times, opting to sigh instead as he wriggled his toes inside of his shoes and shifted his weight around.

The painter finished the King and redheaded Princess first, knowing that it would be easier to paint the Queen and heir last. They were still doomed to stand there until the last brush stroke, but at least they're movement didn't trouble the process anymore. By the end of the day, Elsa was becoming tired and could feel herself sagging the longer she stood. Her feet were throbbing, aching for movement to help her blood circulation.

As if struck by lightning, the Princess remembered about her ice powers. She grinned and felt around inside of her for her magic. It responded filling her whole body with its cold aura. Willing it to where she wanted it to go, she felt it trickle down her spine and settle in her feet, relieving some of the pressure. Having a new form of distraction, Elsa played with her powers; keeping it inside of her as she moved it around. Ice raced along the track she gave it, along her arms towards her hands.

Her fingertips frosted where she held them before her.

As she was trying to figure out how to make the frost return to its core, a voice interrupted her train of thought.

"I'm finished, your Majesties." Knud announced, his brushes clinking against the glass jar as he rid it of the paint between its bristles.

"Finally." Adgar breathed in relief stretching in over-exaggeration. Anna squirmed immediately demanding to be put down; the Queen only complied because she couldn't keep a hold of the three year old.

"Anna, don't go anywhere just yet." She instructed her daughter as she stood up and stretched as well.

The Princess pouted and jumped around on the balls of her feet, potential energy needing an escape after the long build-up by sitting still for so long. Elsa rubbed her hands together to rid herself of the frost that had accumulated in her palms and looked up at her parents wondering if they could go home now.

"The painting will be dry enough in approximately four days' time." Knud informed, stepping away to allow better access to the painting.

"Oh, Knud," The Queen breathed in awe, "It's beautiful."

"Indeed it is." The King agreed standing next to his wife, "Your father has certainly taught you well."

"Thank you." He bowed his head at their praise respectfully.

"Wana see!" a little voice demanded behind the royal couple.

Idun turned around and picked her youngest up whilst her husband settled his eldest in his arms. Together they observed the finished product with tired smiles. The genial Queen sat straight backed on the ornamented chair with a grinning Anna on her lap. The redhead only had eyes for her big sister who stood all prim and proper by her mother's knees with clasped hands. The King stood just behind his eldest, straight and as stiff as a board; his face a neutral mask effectively hiding his inner torment. All in all it was a quite beautiful piece of work, the colours were bold where they needed to be and muted in certain areas to emphasise others.

"Pwitty." Anna stated after a five second silence, "Go now?"

The adults chuckled at her brusqueness and nodded in affirmation. With a final show of gratitude from the royals, they turned away from the painting and walked to the dividing curtain. Elsa draped her little arms around her father's neck, anchored her chin on his collarbone, and gazed at the painting they were moving away from.

One thing her little mind comprehended as soon as the red curtains obscured her view of the painting was that it had captured the physical aspects of her family perfectly, but it had failed to show the immense love they had for each other.

That love she felt as her father's strong arms held her to his chest securely. She heard it in her mother's warm voice when she taught her something new. She saw it in her sister's gleaming eyes whenever the little one so much as looked at her. She experienced it inside her own heart whenever it warmed at the mere thought of her family.

Elsa smiled contently and snuggled closer to her father as they returned to their home.

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 **The next phase will be up soon :)**

 **Please review, if you've got something to say.**


	2. Present

**Thank you so much for the fave's, follows, and reviews :)**

 **I don't own Frozen.**

 **'Kay, next!**

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Stiff.

Stiff and sore and numb and just plain uncomfortable.

Why, oh why had she decided to wear heels today? It's not like they can be seen by any means; the intricate ceremonial dress' layers kept her feet hidden. She's not walking anywhere anytime soon either and even if she did, the only indication that she was wearing heels would've been her click-clack walk.

Queen Elsa stood in all her royal regality holding the orb and sceptre in the very same position she had feared to hold a month ago at her coronation. She stood before her throne in all her graceful splendour, trying with all her might not to grimace because of her numb feet and trembling arms. Even her favourite royal blue dress and purple cloak, one she was usually most comfortable in, was starting to weigh heavily on her stiff shoulders.

 _This is definitely a form of torture_ , she thought with an inward wince staring at the easel bearing a canvas and the painter seated before it. _And Anna wants a 'family' portrait done?_ She scoffed softly in amusement at the thought of her never-sit-still-sister having to endure what the Queen was forced to stand through.

"Do you need a moment, your Majesty?" Knud, the painter, asked behind the canvas in response to the sound she had made.

A relieved sigh as she lowered her arms was all answer he received. He smiled knowingly as she stretched; touching up a few things here and there on the painting while he waited.

"How long would you say we're going to be here for, Master Bergslien?" Elsa asked, successfully keeping the whine out of her voice.

Knud stood up from his seat and took a step backwards in order to appraise his work and gauge the remaining time they had until the final product. Chin in hand, he tilted his head and frowned at some or other abnormality his artistic eye had caught.

"Well," he squinted at the painting, "I think four more hours would suffice."

So focussed was he on playing spot-the-problem with brush strokes that he completely missed the Queen sag in a most undignified manner before she straightened again. Resigned to endure her torment to the bitter end of two-hundred and forty minutes more.

"Are you ready ma'am?" he asked seated before his work-in-progress yet again.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" she muttered under her breath, though not unkindly.

"I suppose not ma'am," the painter answered. Elsa could hear the smile in his voice with his face being momentarily obscured by the canvas. "But, I'd just like to add my two skillings if I may. You're by far the most patient monarch I've had the pleasure of painting thus far. A most accommodating subject to paint, Majesty."

"Thank you, Master Bergslien. Heaven knows it over quicker if the subject stands still long enough." A faint blush dusted her cheeks. She raised her eyebrow suddenly, "Wait, didn't you paint my father's coronation painting as well?"

Knud barked out a laugh, "Oh yes my Queen I did, and many before that as well." He chuckled, leaning around the corner to look at her fully, "King Adgar, gods rest his soul, was as fidgety as Princess Anna still is."

Both of them smiled at the memory of the first family painting when Elsa and Anna had been mere toddlers. The original composition differed drastically from the one hanging in the dining room today. Everything went to the reindeer as soon as Anna became bored a mere five seconds in, resulting in the youngest being seated in the Queen's lap while Elsa stood next to the chair with the King behind the little blonde girl.

"He always ended up looking as stiff as a board in each painting I had done with him as a subject." Kund finished with a chuckle, disappearing behind the canvas again. "Oh, and your Majesty?"

"Hmm?" she shook her head to focus in the present, "I mean, yes Master Bergslien?"

"It won't be necessary to hold the royal artefacts anymore."

When silence was his only answer, Knud leaned around the canvas to peer at the Queen in curiosity. Elsa allowed hope to shine unchecked in her expression as a smile formed with her disbelieving eyes. A newsboy capped head nodded with amusement clearly seen in his façade, affirming his earlier statement. With a beaming smile and no hesitation she dropped the cursed orb and sceptre right then and there.

The old painter screwed his eyes shut tightly, waiting for the noisy clang that should echo in the empty throne room. When none came he opened his eyes and saw two piles of snow next to the Queen, with the objects protruding out from them; a good-natured chuckle from the artist resounded in the room instead.

Knud returned to his painting, glancing out at the Queen every once and a while to capture the fold of her skirt properly. While he painted the time away, Elsa moved her snowdrifts, with her torture devices in them, away from her and out of the painter's line of sight. With that taken care of, she let her thoughts wander.

She thought of her mother and father.

It's been a month since the open gates. Reconnecting with her sister is a slow but steady process. Elsa still lapsed into her old 'conceal, don't feel' mantra when things became too stressful for her. But Anna was always there to coax her out of it. Being Queen was difficult, but not nearly as difficult as she thought it would've been. Everything she had been taught by her father had come in handy and she often counselled his journals to refresh her memory. The open gates really have their own advantages as well. Ruling seemed more doable with them open than with the closed future she had resigned herself to when she was younger.

But…

Would they have been proud of her?

'Of course they would've!' a voice sounding strangely like Anna answered her in her mind. 'And don't you dare deny it.'

Elsa smiled at that thought, staring off into space as a chiming sound twinkled in the background of her thoughts about her sister. Knud was busy cleaning a brush in one of his numerous jars filled with multi-coloured water. Drying the brush on his paint stained apron, he plunged the bristles into a deep royal blue before adding the colour to the canvas, his eyes flitting to the skirt more often than before.

As if Elsa's thoughts about Anna acted as a summons, the doors of the throne room creaked open to admit the feisty redhead that was her sister.

"Hey Elsa," she called loudly over her shoulder as she closed the door, "I heard you were in here so – oh…it's –"

"Portrait day." The two sisters echoed in a monotone.

"Right." Anna smacked her forehead, "I forgot."

"What have you been doing all day to merit your attention for so long?" Elsa teased while her sister skipped towards her.

"Ha, ha. Very funny." She commented sarcastically. "I'll have you know that I have an extremely long attention span – Hey Knud! – and that it takes a lot for me to be distracted, thank you very much."

Anna stood before her sister with her hands on her hips while Elsa tried to keep her giggles in check.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing," her laughter escaped then, "it's just difficult to take you seriously when you disprove your own statement while saying it."

"Wait what?" the spitfire was obviously affronted, "I never –"

"Good day Princess," Knud interrupted purposefully, "how has your day been?"

"Oh just great actually!" she beamed, skipping over towards him; "I went out with Kristoff and – oh wow, Kund! That's so beautiful! You really captured her Queenly scowl perfectly."

"I do _not_ have a Queenly scowl!" Elsa retorted with a frown from where she was standing on the dais.

"Sure you don't," she leaned close to the grinning painter and stage whispered, "That's totally not a Queenly scowl on her face right now, is it Knud?"

"And you weren't distracted at least three times thus far at all, right?" A smirk retorted.

"Right!" Anna straightened with a grin before it fell abruptly, "Wait…"

Knud chuckled at their banter and returned to his painting. He couldn't afford to get distracted as easily as the Princess could. They had already been painting for well over eight hours, with a lunch break in between of course, but still. The faster he could finish this the better. At least the Queen would be entertained for the last two hours of the process.

"So, how has your day been?" Elsa asked, forcing herself not to shift her weight from foot to foot to encourage blood circulation. Instead she willed an icy chill to envelope her feet, turning her heels into ice.

She sighed in relief.

"Better that yours that's for sure." Anna smirked knowingly, "did you just ruin another pair of heels by turning them into ice?"

"I don't make a habit of ruining my footwear, like _some_ people I know."

"That's like your _fourth_ pair that's been iced!"

"And how many pairs of your shoes have become waterlogged because of some or other mishap that resulted with you in town?"

Anna mumbled her answer ducking her head away grumpily.

"Excuse me?" the blonde simpered, "I couldn't hear yo–"

"Ten. I said, ten."

"Ten! I thought the amount stood on _nine_." Elsa said in surprise.

"Well," the redhead drawled, kicking her feet out before her, "there was an incident. Today."

"Was anything broken?"

"Wellllll…"

"Anna."

"What?!" the youngest exclaimed innocently at her sister's glowering face, "There was a pig and a pie and the ocean somehow ended the whole thing and – Look, it wasn't _that_ bad. Kristoff caught the pig before it could wreck anymore havoc."

"What broke?" Elsa asked rubbing her face tiredly.

"A few stalls and a rowboat…"

"A rowboat." She repeated in a monotone, "How on earth do you _break_ a rowboat?"

"It's quite easy actually. It sunk into the fjord like a stone!"

" _Anna_!"

"What?! It really wasn't so bad! Okay, fine the boat needs to be replaced, but Kristoff already fixed the stalls and the fruit that was displayed on it wasn't bruised _that_ badly. The pies were ruined completely – by the way they tasted _so_ good – and –"

"Anna."

The redhead swallowed her words and looked up at her sister. Elsa tempered her Queenly scowl to a less severe but sterner frown.

"You need to be more careful."

"I know…" she lowered her head, chastised.

"People look up to you; you're their Princess. They still need to get used to your…eccentricities."

"I was just trying to help…"

"I know you were," Elsa's voice softened, "Why was the pig even on the loose?"

"A little boy had lost it somehow." Anna explained contritely, still looking at her feet. "It was his pet, you see, and I wanted him to stop crying. When I saw the pig I just reacted. I'm sorry."

The eldest sister released a deep sigh, "It's okay." The youngest looked up hopefully, "But I think you should go and help re-bake those pies you destroyed."

"Already volunteered!" Anna beamed, "Asked Miss Malark as soon as I was fished out of the fjord."

"How did you end up in the fjord anyway?" Elsa asked, amused.

"It's actually a very funny story."

Time flew by with Anna retelling the incident in minute detail, coupled with hand gestures and noises to make the story more interesting. Knud found it more difficult to finish the Queen's skirt with her laughing so much at her sister's tale while being enraptured by the story himself. The dress had moved numerous times, changing the folds and the shadows, but he was used to this type of movement after ten years' experience abroad. The bodice and upper-body had the most detail in and Knud had been able to capture that part perfectly. The lower part was more rushed than the upper, but it gave it that artistic quality that he was known for. So, no harm, no foul.

The painting was announced as finished and Anna wasted no time to drag her sister out of the throne room. Knud stayed behind, packing up his supplies while listening to the sister's laughs echo in the room as they exited it.

When he was alone and mostly packed up, he paused to regard his painting again. That abnormality that he had felt earlier was still there, but this time he knew where it was. The Queen, like her father before her, stood stiff and formal on the canvas. Her throne was in the background with muted colours while her formal blue dress and white hair stood out in the foreground. Selecting the thinnest brush in his set, one he usually reserved for the finest of details, he positioned it over the painted Queen's linier mouth.

Two twitches in the corner of the mouth and a few touch ups in the oil paint later, the Queen had a warm smile in place of her formerly stoic lips, all thanks to her sister's influence.

Completely satisfied with his work, Knud packed his paint up and left the throne room in search of Kai's help to transport the painting back to his studio until it is dry enough to be presented to her Majesty in the near future.

The painting stood smiling in the empty hall, a foretelling of what the future will hold the young Queen of Arendelle.

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 **I used a comic strip as some inspiration. The last part where Knud changes the shape of the mouth, was the end result of the comic strip.** **I don't know who drew it, sorry, but it was a very sweet idea that does _not_ belong to me. **

**The pig, pie and ocean thing was out of a deleted scene from the movie. It's hilarious! Check it out if you want to know what happened in town with Anna.**

 **Next installment will be posted tomorrow** **:)**


	3. Future

**Welp...turned out that this was actually a doozy to finish.**

 **My Muse got stuck watching the clouds on a cloudless day or something...so I kinda had to drag her kicking and screaming to finish this.**

 **Hope it's sufficient *grins awkwardly***

 **I do not own Frozen.**

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"Well, this is certainly something you don't see every day."

Knud Bergslien, acclaimed master oilpainter, maker of thousands of portraits during his lifetime, stood motionless before the most peculiar scene he had ever seen; the only normal thing being his easel, canvas and painting supplies awaiting use. He was currently inside the Great Hall in castle Arendelle, having been commissioned to paint a portrait of the royal family. He hadn't expected that that included a talking snowman, a reindeer and the Ice Master himself.

Queen Elsa and Princess Anna stood before him as well; a hand on a hip as the Princess gave orders with an authoritative finger.

"No, no no, Sven. You need to stay still, we've talked about this." Anna tried to persuade the animal to stop fidgeting. "Elsa you need to sit on his back – yeah up there, go on! Nice, using an ice mounting block, big sis. Olaf is going to sit on your lap, 'kay? Kristoff – "

"Is going to lean against his neck from the other side."

"What? No, you need to – "

"Anna." The Queen called her attention from atop a squirming Sven, looking extremely uncomfortable. "It won't change anything if he does what he said he will."

"Yeah but…" the redhead trailed off, seeing the stubborn set of his jaw. "Fine…"

Kristoff tried and failed to hide a victorious smirk as he made his way towards his best bud.

"Sven if you don't stand still," he whispered as he passed him. "no more carrots for a week."

The reindeer stopped moving so abruptly Elsa almost toppled off, clutching to the fur on his back, she rearranged herself to sit as comfortably as she could.

"The things I do for my little sister…" she grumbled under her breath, draping her ice train to fall behind her. Kristoff took his place and leaned forward against Sven's back casually.

"Alright!" Anna chirped with a clap of her hands, "Olaf! Come and sit on Elsa's lap."

"Okay!" he bounded towards them away from a relieved Knud, after having bombarded the painter with question after question about what being an artist is like in his childlike enthusiasm. A snowdrift with stairs was conjured up before the reindeer so that they wouldn't struggle to get the sentient snow on the Queen's lap while she balanced on top of the animals' back.

"This is so exciting!" he giggled climbing the stairs that disappeared as soon as he perched himself on his creator's lap. The blonde coughed and spluttered when his flurry took up shop on her face, raining snow down on her and her snowman. A hasty hand swatted the flurry into nonexistence, and then flicked a snowball in her sister's giggling face.

"Heh hey," she wiped the snow off and flicked it in her sister's general direction. "That was funny."

"Not as funny as it will be while you try and get on top of Sven's back." Her sister countered, watching her approach the bored looking reindeer.

"Pfft, it'll be a piece of krumkake."

Anna placed her hands on the reindeers back, planning on mounting him like she mounts her horse. Her logic kicked in just in time. With a frown she realised she'd most likely vault Elsa and Olaf off of Sven if she did that.

"Hmm…" her lips thinned into a concentrated frown as she wondered how she'd get on the reindeer's back without making a fool out of herself.

Turning around and away from the amused faces of her friend and family members, facing the painter regarding her with curiosity, she set her jaw, placed her hands as far up Sven's back as she could, and jumped. She didn't even come close to getting to her desired position.

"Why do you have to be so tall…?" she mumbled to herself before Sven snorted in response.

"Do you need any help?" she heard Elsa ask with obvious laughter in her voice as Kristoff snickered openly from somewhere behind her.

"No. I'm fine." She jumped again, her feet clicking against the floor when she landed.

"Are you sure?" The blonde lifted an elegant hand preparing to create another ice mounting block, "I could just –"

"No." she grunted, another failed jump, she turned around. "I can do this."

"We haven't got all day, you know."

"I'd get up faster if you weren't distracting me, Elsa."

The Queen raised her hands in surrender almost toppling off the reindeer again. With her heart in her throat she clutched the fur with her one free hand to steady herself again. A fond smile formed on Kristoff face as he watched her struggle, he walked around Sven's head and stood behind her as she tried to jump and twist in the air for the fourth time. With steadying hands on her waist, the mountain man helped her scoot to sit on top of the reindeer at long last.

She thanked him with a light blush dusting her freckles.

"Don't mention it." He said with a lopsided smile.

"Alright," Anna steadied herself, moving closer to her sister as Kristoff returned to his previous position, leaning against Sven's neck next to the feisty redhead.

Olaf shifted in Elsa's lap, leaning back to rest in the crook of her elbow. He had been told that he'd have to be comfortable in order to stay still for hours on end, and so he made himself as comfortable as possible. Elsa released the fur slowly, testing her balance before she took her sister's hand in her own.

With her warm hands covering the cool one, Anna said, "I think we're ready Knud."

The scratch of a pencil drawing the composition followed shortly after the announcement.

"So, how does this work again?" Olaf asked, looking at the easel curiously.

"He's drawing the compostion –"

"Why is he drawing compost?" the snowman interrupted his creator.

"Not compost, com-pos-ition." She explained slowly, "It's the way we're sitting now. After that's done he'll start painting us."

"You need to keep still when he says he's painting you, okay Olaf?" Anna added with a smile.

"Okay." He beamed at her.

"Will _you_ be able to sit still?" Kristoff asked next to her, causing Elsa to smile at a triggered memory.

"No problem." Anna answered with confidence, and shifted immediately thereafter. "I'll try at least." She confessed with a sheepish grin.

"I'm going to paint the reindeer – "

"Sven." Kristoff interrupted.

" – Sven, first." Knud finished his announcement with an apologetic lilt in his voice, in case he had offended the Ice Master in anyway. The man's smile told him he hadn't.

" 'Kay Sven," Anna said, he looked at her expectantly. "Do the thing."

A front leg lifted off of the ground proudly and he looked straight at the stunned man sitting before the canvas, with a goofy grin on his reindeer face.

"Definitely not something you see every day…" he muttered to himself again. Then again, his Queen had the power over ice and snow, so he should be used to these types of things by now, especially with a living snowman seated on said Queen's lap.

The four of them passed the time Knud took to paint by talking to each other about everything and anything under the sun. Olaf told them of his adventures through town. Anna and Kristoff told them about the time they had to babysit the baby rock trolls. Elsa talked about trade in the kingdom, but soon opted to listen instead.

As soon as it was Anna's turn to sit still for the painting, Sven lowered his front leg and things quietened down a bit. The snowman hummed a merry tune as he lounged on the Queen's arm that was starting to ache a little bit. Willing the snow Olaf was made of to stay in its position, she stretched her arm out to give it a brief rest before holding him close again.

"I think I know why you wanted to lean against Sven now." Anna uttered through and obviously forced smile.

Kristoff chuckled in response. "Thinking ahead, it's what I do."

"Are you suggesting I don't think ahead?" she asked lowering her tone of voice.

"Well, I uh, I didn't mean for it to sound –"

"Yes, "Elsa interrupted with an impish smirk, "I think he did, and I agree with him."

Anna shot her sister a withering glare.

"Princess Anna," Knud said, peeking around the canvas. "Please don't move."

She returned her head to its former position, lips pulled into a thin line.

"And that's what I love most about you, Anna." Elsa said, squeezing her sister's hand lovingly. "Please never change."

Smiles were exchanged before Knud cleared his throat, calling Anna to attention and motionlessness again. After what felt like millennia, the painter announced that he was going to paint the snowman next.

Olaf got so excited he struck a pose, almost hitting Elsa in her face with his outstretched twig arms, grinning from ear to ear, if he had any. Anna giggled at his antics, lowering his hand hovering before her sister's face while Elsa tried to keep her balance at his sudden shift in position. Silence reigned while the brush moved across the canvas for a maximum of five seconds.

"Ha lang i thi onna ake?" Olaf's inarticulate question was asked with his smiling mouth wide open.

"Huh?"

"I think he asked how long this is gonna take." Kristoff clarified from next to his redhead.

"Eh." Came the snowman's sound of assent.

"Wha? How'd you know?" Anna asked, mirroring her sister's surprised face.

"He speaks reindeer," Elsa replied with a smirk before he could, "he can probably speak Olaf, too. I don't know little guy, until he says otherwise."

"Ah." The snowman said, returning his gaze to the man before the canvas.

Knud soon lost himself in the challenge of painting compacted snow, adding grey for the shadows and burnt sienna for his twig arms and hair. The trio continued their earlier conversation, well, Anna continued talking. Her sister and boyfriend were content to watch and listen to her plan the rest of their day off. Anna would be in for a surprise when the rest of the day she was planning would not become a reality. To paint a portrait of this measure with five subjects of varying textures would take most of the day. Elsa kept this to herself as she smiled at her little sister, unwilling to burst her bubble just yet.

"Alright," Knud's muffled voice called from behind the canvas, "The Ice Master is next."

The blonde womans' whole body deflated as soon as those words left his mouth. She should've known he'd paint her last! This is what she gets for wearing her ice dress. Even she had studied its intricate detail with various pencil sketches and experimental paintings. Knud is going to have a flied day with her dress.

"Olaf," She addressed her still-frozen-in-his-pose snowman, "you can relax now."

"Oh, okay." He dropped his arms and before she could stop him, hopped off her lap. " 'Kay I'm off to the ducklings!"

"Olaf _wait_!" Anna called, nearly toppling off the reindeer's back as she reached out towards him. "You can't just…leave."

But he was having none of it, already sliding halfway down the hall on his stomach towards the exit, humming merrily. The three of them, including Sven, turned their gaze at the painter expectantly, who just continued to paint without missing a beat.

"Wait…what just happened?" Anna asked severely confused, "Why can he leave without a problem? Does that mean _I_ can leave too?"

"No Anna." Elsa replied for Knud, "You need to stay here."

"But _why_?" she whined petulantly, "my butt is killing me! I can barely feel it anymore!"

" _You_ wanted to have us sit on Sven's back." The Queen replied calmly, "Now you'll just have to stay until he's finished."

The painter shot her an apologetic glance before returning all his attention back to the matter at hand. Anna pouted extravagantly and would've crossed her arms if she weren't supposed to keep a hold of her sister's hand. Kristoff's portrait was over much quicker than the rest, being obscured mostly by Sven's neck. A chiming twinkle was heard when Knud cleaned his brush and nodded towards the mountain man, who relaxed his face from smiling.

"Ha!" Anna cried out spitefully, turning her head towards her sister " _Your_ turn."

"You do realise I've done this before and had to stand for a full 12 hours, right?" Elsa's rhetorical question was laced with overconfidence. "This is a piece of krumkake for me."

A pink tongue sticking out from Anna's mouth was all reply she received.

The truth of the matter is that the feeling in Elsa's lower body was all but non-existent. She was _not_ looking forward to the blood that will rush towards her limbs by the time this is finished, and she wasn't planning on telling any of this to her sister any time soon either. It was _Anna's_ idea to have the portrait done like this, so she was just going to have to sit through this to the bitter end.

Taking a deep breath in preparation of the remaining time she would have to stay as still as a statue, she hoped that she would not end up looking as stiff as her father before had always looked. As anticipated, it took much longer for Knud to finish painting Elsa. He had to create shadows where there were none with Olaf having abandoned them before they were finished. Luckily, the painter had already painted Elsa's hand holding on to her snowman, so all that was left to do was tackle the dress. A grin erupted on Knud's face as he studied the ice dress' fine details, forcing himself not to go overboard with everything his eyes could see. He noticed Elsa's shoulders droop as time progressed and heard her nasal exhales from where he was sitting. All this was indicative of his time running out much too quickly for his liking.

Anna was having a field day watching her sister's obvious discomfort as she shifted overtly on Sven's back every once and a while just to spite the one who could not move.

"Anna, I know you're being purposeful – "

"Am not!"

"And I would just like to remind you of my magical abilities and my favourite saying."

"Your favourite saying?" Anna repeated with a raised eyebrow, "You say so many things, I cannot fathom there being favourites among them."

Elsa pursed her lips in response, willing her magic to engulf her entire lower body in order to encourage circulation.

"What saying are you talking about?" the youngest asked impatiently at her sister's tight lipped silence.

Kristoff, having observed the exchange between the sisters had a pretty good inclination as to what the saying was. His lips fought to form a grin, but he had to keep it in check lest Anna turn to him and demand an explanation. Elsa's eyes stayed trained on the painter in anticipation for the signal that he had finished his work, her lips thinning into slits as the seconds strolled by.

"Kristoff," Anna turned to him like he knew she would, "What's she – why are you smiling like that?"

Before the man could answer, Knud announced he was finished and Elsa exhaled sharply. Teal eyes snapped towards her sister's icy orbs crinkling wickedly around its edges. The accompanying grin growing on her sister's face waved rapid red flags in Anna's mind.

"Elsa…"

"My favourite saying, dear sister…" Anna slid off of Sven's back with a clank and started to back away towards the exit, keeping a close eye on her sister's hands.

"Now Elsa, you know I was just playing around –"

"…is one you are most familiar with." Elsa continued over her excuse, watching her sister pass Knud who observed them with rapt interest.

"Revenge…" Elsa paused her saying, enjoying the perception swell her sister's eyes.

"…is a dish best…," she raised her arms and snow colligated above its mistress in an instant.

"…served...," a flick of her wrist conducted the snow drift hovering above her to move towards the Princess.

Anna turned and sprinted with all her might towards the door, if she could just make it to the door before the snow reached her, then she'd be –

" _COLD!_ " the redhead exclaimed, the snow covering her from head to toe. "Cold, cold, cold! AH! ELSA!"

Kristoff laughed out rightly while he helped Elsa down from Sven who, upon feeling the woman slid off his back, ran towards Anna. He then proceeded to help her remove the snow by licking it off of her as fast as he could.

"Can I just say that your puns are the best." He commented while Elsa waited for the pins and needles' merciless attack to cease. " 'Revenge is a dish best served cold'? Ha! That kills me every time."

"I'm sure that's not the only thing that'll kill you…" Elsa replied through her discomfort.

"What do you mean?"

Her only response was to look towards her sister, prompting the mountain man to follow her gaze. Anna, soaked by melted snow and reindeer slobber, stomped towards them, her eyes trained squarely on him. He gulped automatically and took an involuntary step backwards.

"You _knew_!" she accused, "you _knew_ she was gonna do that."

"Hey, calm down Feisty pants, I just –"

"Wanted to see me drenched in snow." Anna finished his sentence for him.

"Wellll…"

"You Stinker!"

The princess lunged towards him but he was too quick, having anticipated her response. He grinned over his shoulder as he bolted for the door with Sven following behind him closely.

"Come back here you!" she cried, running after him.

The two of them left the Queen and painter alone in the Hall, listening to crashing sounds, shouts of alarm, and baying reindeer. A soft sigh ghosted Elsa's lips; whether it was in relief that the pins and needles sensation had ceased or in exasperation at what they had broke again. She straightened her posture and turned to face the bewildered painter staring at the door.

"Thank you for your time and expertise Master Bergslien." Her voice made him snap out of his stupor.

"Oh, uh, you're most welcome Majesty."

"Could you be able to keep the portrait for me for two weeks?"

"O-of course." He answered, curious as to why she wouldn't come and fetch it after the customary four day drying time.

"Thank you. I'm planning to give it to Anna as her birthday present."

"Ah." He nodded in understanding, "Shall I have it framed, too?"

"That would be most kind." She said with a smile and a nod of acceptance. "Now, if you'll excuse me –"

Another crashing and a shout sounded somewhere outside the door.

" – I need to make sure no bones are being broken."

Knud smiled and bowed before she left him alone in the Hall. Still smiling to himself, he cleaned up his supplies and recalled the very first time he had painted the royal family. The late Queen Idun had said that his image of his monarchs would change; he suspected she was teasing. But, as he left the hall, in search of Kai, he couldn't help feeling that what she had said was true. It didn't change for the worst, quite the opposite.

This whole family dynamic he had the privilege of witnessing, only endeared them to his heart.

* * *

 **And probably to our hearts as well? Anybody there? Hello?**

 **Well, it endeared them to mine :) 'kay, hope that wasn't noticeably more crappily written that the previous ones.**

 **Review if it was, I would like to know where I went wrong.**

 **'Till next time :)**


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